Knitted fabric having elastic courses



Jane 26, 1932. R. H. LAWSON 3 9 KNITTED FABRIC HAVING ELASTIC COURSES Filed D60. 17, 1930 Fla. .2.

[NVENTDR 2805222 THLAWSOM B 27%, z q wz ATTX Patented Jan. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT E. LAWSON, OF PA'WTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO HEMPHILL COM- PANY, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS KNITTED FABRIC HAVING ELASTIC COURSES Application filed December 17, 1930. Serial No. 503,021.

This invention relates to a new and improved stocking or half hose provided with a knitted elastic section, the elastic courses whereof take the place of the usual garter which supports a stocking or half hose.

, In the drawings:

Fig. l is a conventional view of a stocking or half hose knitted in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a View showing a few wales and courses knitted with elastic thread, as well as a few adjacent wales and courses knitted with non-elastic thread;

Fig. 3 is a view of a fabric corresponding to Fig. 2, but showing a modification thereof;

s Fig. 4 is a view in section of a top of a stocking or half hose and showing the invention as applied to an outturned welt; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. a, but showing the invention as applied to an inturned welt.

The stocking or half hose may be knitted from the toe to the top or from the top to the toe as desired although, and for purposes of description and illustration only, the stocking or half hose herein disclosed may be considered to have been knitted from the top to the toe thereof.

The stocking or half hose 1 includes a turned welt or top 2, a plurality of the courses of which are knitted, preferably, with an elastic thread consisting of a rubber core covered with cotton or other materials in any desired manner, the garter section 3 thus formed being knitted integrally, i. e., during the knitting of the turned welt 2 and the remaining portion of the stocking which includes the leg 4, heel 5, foot 6 and toe 7. Preferably, but not necessarily, the stocking or half hose is knitted on a single machine and during one continuous knitting operation, the toe, preferably, but not necessarily,

5 being closed in a usual manner along the line 8 by sewing stitches and by an operation subsequent to knitting.

The wales of courses 9 (Fig. 2), which comprise the courses of the welt 2 other than v the elastic courses are, preferably but not necessarily, composed of plain knitted stitches,

said stitches being knitted with any desired kind of thread or yarn, such as cotton, silk, etc., which threads or yarns have very little lengthwise elasticity or strength. On the other hand the courses 10 of the garter section 3, as hereinbefore stated, are knitted with an elastic thread which has considerable length wise elasticity or stretch. The wales of the said elastic courses 10 are, preferably, but not necessarily, composed of plain stitches knitted, as hereinbefore stated, with a rubber core thread or yarn 11 which is fed to all of the needles or to any desired portion of the same, by means of the usual or any desired form of yarn or thread guide.

As will be understood the welt or top 2, excluding the elastic courses 10, may be knitted with the same thread that is fed to the needles during the knitting of the leg and foot 6, although other threads may be fed to the needles during the knitting of the leg i and foot 6, if desired; but in any event at the beginning of the knitting of the elastic section 3, the yarn guide or guides which theretofore fed a thread or threads to the needles whereby the latter knitted a portion of the top 2, is or are raised or moved to an inoperative position above or away from the circle of needles. In order to prevent the fabric from being cast off the needles, the yarn guide which feeds the elastic thread ll to the needles during the knitting of the garter section 3 is dropped or moved to feeding position with respect to the needles a few wales before the guide, which feeds a thread or threads to the needles during the knitting of the top 2, is moved out of feeding relation with respect to the needles, and the thread which constitutes the courses knitted following the knitting of the elastic courses, is likewise moved to feeding position before the elastic thread is withdrawn.

The numeral 12 indicates a length of withdrawn thread which passes fI'OZIT: the last Wale where it is knitted in to any convenient form of thread cutting and clamping mechanism or binder, and 13 indicates a length of elastic thread which passes from such yarn clamping and cutting mechanism or binder to the first wale Where the said elastic thread 11 is knitted into the fabric. When a main or body thread is again fed to the needles for the knitting of non-elastic courses 9, an end of such thread, indicated at 12', is knitted into the fabric for a few wales before the elastic thread 11 is withdrawn as indicated at 13'. t

In Fig. 3 is shown a modified form of fabric and wherein 14 indicates plain courses same length.

which constitute a portion of the top or welt 2 of a stocking, which courses are knitted with a relatively heavy or coarse thread. Plain courses 15 comprise the garter section 3, the loops or stitches constituting the sa1d courses 15 being somewhat longer than are the loops or stitches which constitute the courses 14, although the stitches which constitute the courses 14 and 15 may be of the The rubber core thread 16, covered as hereinbefore described, is knitted into the fabric, together with the thread constituting the plain courses of the garter section 3, in each said course but at alternate wales only, being floated across intervening wales as at 17. Preferably, the rubber core thread is coarser or heavier than the thread which constitutes the plain course loops of the garter top 3.

When the stocking is knitted from the top to the toe the thread which constitutes the courses 14 is withdrawn prior to the knitting of the elastic courses during the knitting of which elastic courses a finer thread is fed to all of the needles, alternate ones of which also knit the rubber core thread. At the completion of the knitting of the elastic courses either the thread which was knitted throughout the courses 14 or another thread is substituted for the finer, body thread and rubber core thread. To prevent the needles from casting ofi' the fabric it is necessary, whenever a thread is withdrawn from feeding relation with respect to the needles, that the substitute thread be fed to a few needles before the thread first mentioned is withdrawn from feeding relation with respect to the needles.

The outturned welt, shown in section in Fig. 4 as provided with elastic courses which constitute the garter portion 3, is backed by a portion 18 of the welt of the stocking which is knitted with one or more of the main knitting threads or yarns, i. e., other than an elastiethread or yarn such as is knitted in the elastic courses 10.

The in'turned welt shown in section in Fig. 5 is likewise provided with elastic courses which constitute the garter section 3, which courses are backed by a portion of the turned welt 19.

Although the welts are preferably automatically turned and connected to the body portions of the legs of the stockings, nevertheless the present invention contemplates the knitting of a sufficient length of stocking above the garter portion 3 to permit the same to be turned over and cover the arter portion 3, such turned end of the stoc ing being thereafter sewed to the leg of the stocking.

By turning the welt as hereinbefore disclosed there is rovided a fabric section knitted with threa s or yarns, other than elastic threads, which section lies between the elastic section and the leg of the wearer of a stocking or half hose, and thereby prevents the rubber cord thread from coming in direct contact with the leg of the wearer.

Furthermore the welt, if not automatically turned, may be turned or folded more than once care being taken, however, to protect the leg of a wearer of a stocking or half hose from direct contact with the elastic courses.

Although as hereinbefore described the top of the stocking may be turned to provide a welt nevertheless, when knitting the elastic courses in a manner disclosed in Fig. 3, it is not necessary that the welt be turned as the regular knitting threads (other than the elastic thread) plate over and cover such elastic thread; or in other words, intervene between said elastic thread and the leg of the wearer so that direct contact between elastic thread and the leg of the wear is avoided.

Although single threads have been referred to in the foregoing description it will be understood that throughout the stocking single threads may be knitted or two or more threads may be knitted and in plating or other relations.

Wherever in the specification and claims reference is made to alternate, there is no intention of thereby limiting the specification or claims to every other needle or wale but such a limitation is intended to cover as well, fabric structures or methods wherein two or more wales or needles are interspersed among one or more wales or needles in regular or irregular order.

Although the invention herein disclosed is primarily intended for use in stockings or half hose, nevertheless it is also applicable to knitted fabric intended for uses other than hosiery.

The stockings, half hose or other knitted fabric hereinbefore described are, preferably but not necessarily, knitted on a Banner machine of the type disclosed in the patent to Hemphill 933,443, September 7, 1909.

Claims: I g

1. A stocking or half hose including a leg portion knitted with at least one relatively inelastic body thread, and a garter section consisting of a plurality of knitted courses and wales, at least one relatively elastic thread being knitted throughout the courses 3 constituting the garter section but at alternate wales only.

2. .A stocking or half hose including a garter section consisting of a plurality of knitted courses and wales knitted with a relaalternate wales only.

3. A knitted fabric including elastic courses composed of a relatively non-elastic thread knitted into the fabric throughout the wales of a substantial number of courses, and a relatively elastic thread knitted into the fabric throughout such courses but at alternate wales only.

7 4. A stocking or half hose, including an integrally knitted top, leg, heel, foot and toe,

a number of the courses included in the top being composed of a relatively non-elastic thread knitted into the fabric throughout the wales of suchicourses and a relatively elastic thread knitted into the fabric throughout such courses but at alternate wales only.

5. A stocking or half hose knitted with a relatively inelastic thread or threads and provided with a turned welt, the turned welt comprising wales and courses having a relatively elastic thread knitted therein, a portion of the welt backing the wales and courses, in which the elastic thread is knitted, in such a manner as to prevent contact of the elastic wales and courses with the leg of the wearer of a stocking or half hose.

6. A stocking or half hose including a leg portion knitted with a relatively inelastic thread, and a garter section conslsting of a plurality of knitted courses and wales, at east one rubber core thread being knitted throughout the portions constituting the garter section but at alternate wales only.

v7. A stocking or half-hose including a garter section consisting of a plurality of knitted courses and wales knitted with a relatively inelastic body thread and with a relatively elastic rubber thread, which thread is knitted into the fabric at alternate wales only.

8, A stocking or half hose, including an integrally knitted top, leg, heel, foot and toe,

1 a number of the courses including in the top being composed of a relatively non-elastic thread knitted into the fabric throughout the wales of such courses and a rubber thread knitted into the fabric throughout such courses but at alternate wales only.

In testimony whereof I aflix my si ature.

ROBERT H. LA ON. 

